Publication/completion

- The next section, Publication Completion…requires information as to whether a song is published,…and if so, when.…If you haven't listened to the video…on song publication, you should review it.…In brief, a song is published if copies of the song,…whether in physical or digital form,…are distributed or sold to the public.…If your song has not been published,…choose No from the drop-down menu.…Next, enter the year in which the song was completed,…or if you're registering a group of unpublished songs,…the date the newest song was completed,…also known as Year of Creation.…

The application also asks for a pre-registration number,…which you can ignore, as you won't…be pre-registering your songs.…If your song or songs are published,…as is the case with our example,…you would answer Yes to the question…whether it has been published,…then enter the Year of Completion,…or if registering a group of published songs,…the year that the newest song was completed.…Then enter the first date of publication.…That is when the collection was first offered to the public.…

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Author

Released

3/13/2015

Registering a copyright to a song is not the easiest process, but it's helpful for songwriters. It preserves your legal claims to songs and your ability to monetize them. In this course, Rich Stim provides essential guidance to navigate the process and understand the main language, concepts, and business aspects of music copyright.

Rich starts by defining what a song copyright and a sound recording copyright are—and how they're different. He defines who owns a song, and how to sort out contributions from multiple writers of the same song. Then he explains how to get a copyright registration using the U.S. Copyright Office's online application process. The course wraps up by discussing possible objections that copyright examiners may have, as well as what to do to maintain your copyright and correct any errors that crop up.

DISCLAIMER: This course is taught by an attorney (or other instructor) and addresses US law concepts that may not apply in all countries. Neither LinkedIn (including Lynda.com) nor the instructor represents you and they are not giving legal advice. The information conveyed through this course is akin to a college or law school course; it is not intended to give legal advice, but instead to communicate information to help viewers understand the basics of the topic presented. The views (and legal interpretations) presented in this course do not necessarily represent the views of LinkedIn or Lynda.com.